PDF herunterladen
Am J Perinatol 2002; 19(1): 055-058
DOI: 10.1055/s-2002-20174
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Copyright © 2002 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA. Tel.: +1(212) 584-4662

Air Emboli in the Intracranial Venous Sinuses of Neonates

Khalid Al-Hathlol1 , Khalid Al-Mane2 , Muneef Al-Hathal1 , Khalil Al-Tawil1 , Bdair Abulaimoun1
  • 1Neonatology Division, Department of Pediatrics, King Fahad National Guard Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • 2Department of Radiology, King Fahad National Guard Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Weitere Informationen

Publikationsverlauf

Publikationsdatum:
18. Februar 2002 (online)

Auch verfügbar auf
    Lizenzen und Reprints

ABSTRACT

Air bubbles in the intracranial venous sinuses are known as a consequence to different causes including trauma, infection, and administration of intravenous contrast. Most of the previous reports demonstrated such cases in adults, with subsequent complications. We are presenting two premature babies who developed asymptomatic air bubbles in the right cavernous and left transverse sinuses, introduced accidentally upon cannulation of scalp veins. In both babies the air embolism disappeared in a few days without complications. Our cases suggest that these accidents could happen more frequently in neonates following scalp vein cannulation, which is a common procedure in sick babies, but they were overlooked as the outcome was uneventful. However, the precise nature and clinical significance of this lesion is not well understood in neonates.

KEYWORD

Air emboli - venous sinuses - neonates

REFERENCES

  • 1 Curnes J T, Creasy J K, Whaley R L, Scatliff J H. Air in the cavernous sinus: a new sign of septic cavernous sinus thrombosis.  Am J Neuroradiol . 1987;  8 176-177
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Rubinstein R, Symonds D. Gas in the cavernous sinus.  Am J Neuroradiol . 1994;  15 561-566
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Bartynski W S, Wang A. Cavernous sinus air in a patient with basilar skull fracture: CT identification.  J Comput Assist Tomogr . 1988;  12 141-142
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Roberston W D, Kuno R. Cavernous sinus air following orbital trauma.  Am J Roentgenol . 1995;  164 980
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Adams M, Quint D J, Eldvik O P. Iatrogenic air in the cavernous sinus.  Am J Roentgenol . 1992;  159 189-190
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 MacDonald M G, Eichelberger M R. Peripheral intravenous line placement. In: Fletcher MA, MacDonald MG, eds. Atlas of Procedures in Neonatology 2nd ed. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott 1993: 144
    Google Scholar
  • 7 Gabella G. Cardiovascular. In: Williams PL, ed. Gray's Anatomy 38th ed. New York: Churchill Livingstone 1995: 1576-1589
    Google Scholar
  • 8 Brook J, Moss E. Air in the cavernous sinus following scalp vein cannulation.  Anesthesia . 1994;  49 219-220
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Navarrete M L, Galindo J, Pallicer M, Barcelona S. Cavernous sinus air bubble.  Ear Nose Throat J . 1990;  69 771-772
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Rubinstein D, Dangleis K, Damiano T R. Venous air emboli identified on head and neck CT scans.  J Comput Assist Tomogr . 1996;  20 559-562
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Hosoya R, Kera M, Suzuke T, Yamaguchi K. Fat in the normal cavernous sinus.  Neuroradiology . 1986;  28 264-266
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Dendy P P, Heaton B. Physics for Radiologist 1st ed. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications 1987
  • 13 Orebaugh S L. Venous air embolism: clinical and experimental considerations.  Crit Care Med . 1992;  20 1169-1177
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar